Gate for railway-crossings.



No. 673,929. Patented May l4, I90I. H. C. W. SIEGMANN. GATE FOB RAILWAYCROSSINGS.

(Application filed am; e, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

No. 673,929. Patented May 14, l90l.

H. C. W. SIEGMANN. GATE FOR RAILWAY CBUSSING S.

(Application filed Sept. 6, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNTTnn STATES ATENT GFFICE.

HEINRICH C. W. SIEGMANN, OF GROSSENWIEDEN, GERMANY.

GATE FOR RAILWAY-CROSSINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,929, dated May 14:,1901.

Application filed $eptember 6, 1900. Serial No. 29,174. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, HEINRICH O. W. SIEG- MANN, a subject of the Emperorof Germany, residing in Grossenwieden, Empire of Germany, have inventeda new and useful Gate for RailwayCrossings Adapted to be OperatedAutomatically by a Passing Train, of which the following is aspecification.

In the accompanying drawings, which form an inseparable part of thisspecification, similar characters of reference refer throughout tosimilar parts, and in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a gate embodyingmy invention. Fig. 2 is also an elevation of the gate when closed. Figs.3 to 12, inclusive, show on different scales details, &c., employed.Fig. 3 is an end and side elevation of the weight and its slides; Fig.4, a plan thereof; Fig. 5, a like view with the parts in a difierentposition; Fig. 6, a similar view with the parts in still anotb orposition. Fig. 7 is an elevation showing the weight on the draw-wire.Fig. 8 is a view showing a spring substituted for such weight. Fig. 9 isa diagrammatic view hereinafter more specifically described. Fig. 10 isan elevation of the pressure-bar. Fig. 11 is an elevation of thesecurity device. Fig. 12 is a plan of Fig. 11.

The principle of the present invention is as follows: The opening andclosing of the gate (formed of a bar adapted to drop'into a horizontalposition) is produced by altering the center of gravity of the said barby a sliding weight which is moved by levers operated by a passingtrain. For this purpose a track for the sliding or actuating weiglit isfixed on the gate-bar extending on each side of the pivot of the saidbar. Two endless draw-wires are attached to the said weight and areconnected with levers, one of which latter is arranged at a suitabledistance on the one side of the said gate and the other at a suitabledistance on the other side of the said gate, both being located in sucha manner that they are operated by a passing train from whicheverdirection the latter approaches, thereby moving the weight on its trackand successively closing and opening the said gate as is desired.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a track 1 for theweight 2 is secured to the side of the gate-bar 3, and draw-wires a aand I) [3 are connected with the said their ends. (See Fig. 3.) Theslide tforms a link in the wires a oz and the slide 5 a linkin thewires 1) b Each draw-wire is connected with a double-armed lever 6,which is mounted adjacent to the exterior or side of the rail in such amanner that when at rest-11. e., when the gate is openit assumes avertical position. The lever-arm pointing downward is connected with thedraw-wires, while the lever-arm pointing upward ends in a tongue 7, thepoint of which in the rest position of the lever projects above therail. Introduced into the draw-wires a and b are also graduated disks orpulleys 8 or such like, the purpose of which is to transmit the movementof the lever on a larger scale, as the course which the slides 4. and 5have to travel is considerably longer than that of the lever. Thus, forinstance, a train approaching from the left, the portion of the frontwheel projecting over the side of the rail comes into contact with thetongue 7 or lever 6 on that side and moves the latter from the positionshown in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 2. The drawwires ct mustfollow this movement of the lever 6 and fnust move in the direction ofthe arrow as, and consequently the slide 4:, which is introduced intothe draw-wires, must also move in the same direction. As soon as theslide 4 has traversed half its course, it drags, by means of its head,the sliding weight with it and moves said weight along its track 1 onthe bar 3 also in the direction of the arrow no.

(See Fig. 4.) The sliding weight 2 is thereby As the draw-wires b b areconnected by means of the slide 5 with the sliding weight 2 in the samemanner as wires 0. 0. and as the lever 6 always assumes the verticalposition when at restin consequence of its dead-weight, the draw-Wires bremain totally unaffected, because the slide 5, owing to its position inthe middle, is not disturbed by the movement of the said weight 2. Assoon as all the wheels of the train which project over the side of therail, usually only those of the engine, have passed the tongue 7 of thelever 6 the latter assumes the vertical position again in consequence ofits own dead-weight and moves thereby the slide 4, connected with it, bymeans of the draw-wires a into its former position, the two slides 4 and5 then having the relation to weight 2 shown in Fig. 5. The train thenpassing the closed gate and reaching the lever 6 on the other sidedisplaces the latter in exactly the same manner as it did the formerone. The draw-wires b and the slide 5 are thus moved in the direction ofthearrows y, (see Fig. 2,) and the slide drags the sliding weight 2 inthe same direction-that is to say, moves it from the position shown inFig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 1. (See also Fig. 6.) The center of gravityof the bar is thereby transferred again to the other sidet. e., theback-and overbalancing again the weight of the bar raises the latter. Assoon as the train has passed the lever 6'last mentioned the latterswings back into the vertical position owing toits own dead-weight, sothat the slide 5, which forms a link in the draw-wires b, is moved backagain into its former central position. (See Figs. 1 and 3.) The wholedevice is then ready again for the next train, and it is immaterialwhether the latter approaches from the right'or from the left,'as it isclear that the action of the device in both cases is exactly the same.

Toprevent the gate from closing too quickly in consequence of the suddenmovement of the lever 6 and possibly causing an accident,

it is advisable to provide a device such as, for instance, the roller10, moving in a guide 9 in such a manner that in closing the gate thebar has to push the roller down and overcome the resistance of thecounterweight 11, the roller thus acting as a brake.

On railway-lines with express traffic the train would only displace thelever during a small fraction of a second and the draw-wires a and bwould not be able to follow the sudden jerking movementin consequence ofhaving. to overcome their inertia. They would therefore inevitablybreak. To prevent this, it is advisable to make them of yielding nature.This can be done in different waysfor instance, by hanging weights 12 onthem, as shown on Fig. 7, or by providing springs 13, as shown in Fig.8. operated suddenly these devices are affected first, and then theeflect of their reaction opens or closes the gate. As hereby, however,in one direction the resistance of the sliding weight and the inertia ofthe draw- On the lever beingwires have to be overcome, while in theother direction no resistance whatever has to be overcome --in fact thecontrary influence makes itself felt, the levers 6 having the tendencyto reassume the vertical position independently in consequence of theirdeadweight-it is necessary when such elastic devices are used to keepthe lever 6 in its slanting position while the train is passing over andto release it again before the train has reached the lever 6 on theother side. The latter is necessary, as otherwise the train would notcause the opening .of the gate again. In Fig. 9 a device fulfilling thispurpose is shown. In this case the lever 6 has a projection 15 or afinger, &c., which on the lever moving in the direction of the arrowlifts the triple-armed adjusted weightlever 14 and engages a projectionformed on the latter in such a manner that the lever 6 is held in theslanting position. To one side of the upward-pointing arm of the lever14 a wire a is attached and to its other side the wire d. The outer endof each of these wires is secured to the periphery of a disk 16, whilemounted loosely on the pivots of each of these disks is a lever 6*,witha tongue 7*. Each of these disks 16 is also provided with a lug 17,against which the lever 6, moving on its pivot independent of the saiddisk, abuts when it is pressed down by the train, and thus causes thedisk to move with it. The draw-wire c or d is thus wound on the disk,and traction is exercised on the lever 14, which disengages the catchand permits the middle lever 6 to assume its vertical position again.the disk 16 is on the side of the lever farther from the middle lever 6,it is clear that when the train approaches from either direction thefirst lever 6 with which it comes into contact is moved, but does notalfect its disk 16. The train operates the lever 6, which acts upon thegate and is held in the slanting position until released by the traincoming into contact with the second lever 6*. The same action takesplace beyond the gate, except when the purpose effected by the leveraction is the opening of the gate. The elastic device may be done awaywith by substituting for the lever 6 pressure-bars of considerablelength. These are arranged movably alongside of the rail in such amanner that when the train approaches from the left one end of the baris depressed, and when it approaches from the right the other end isdepressed, the purpose thereof being to make the draw-wire a or I) movein the direction required by the direction of the train. A pressure-barfulfilling this purpose is shown in Fig. 10. In its rest position thebar is pressed upward by means of springs in such a manner that itscenter part projects slightly above the rail, parallel to the latter.The ends of the bar are hook-shaped and rest under suitablyshaped fixedhooks 19. Jointed to the ends of the bar are the elbow-levers 20, towhich (See Fig. 9.) As the projection 17 on the draw-wires a and b arefixed. A locking device is required in this case also, because otherwiseas soon as the train has passed the center part the bar 18 might balanceover into the other position. In consequence of the considerable lengthof the rail-bar it is advisable to provide instead of one catch orlock-lever two elbow-levers 14. This catch device can be disengaged bymeans of the same kind of levers as shown in Fig. 9.

To increase the security of persons and vehicles using the crossing, afurther device can be provided near the gate and connected by means ofdraw-wires with levers or the like placed considerably beyond the leversor pressure-bars hereinhefore described, and by which the approaching,closing of the gate, and arrival of the train are indicatedindependently before the train has reached the device which operates thegate. Fig. 11 is a side view of a device of this kind, and Fig. 12 is aplan view thereof. It consists of a double-armed lever moving on thefixed pivot 21. At the end of the lever-arms 22 is a lantern 25, uponthe glass of which a suitable warning is painted in legible characters.The lever-arm 23 forms a rail along which the sliding weight 24 can bemoved by means of drawwires e and'f, connected with the device uponwhich the train is to act. In the rest position of the lever shown inFig. 11 the warning-signal is invisible. When the sliding weight 24 ismoved toward the pivot 21, however, the lantern overbalances and appearsbehind an opening in the casing 27.

Having now described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire toprotect by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination of a gate, adoubleended lever, slides, draw-wires connected to the said lever andjoined by said slides, a

Weight through which said slides are movable, and connections betweensaid weight and the gate, as set forth.

2. The combination of a gate, a double ended lever, draw-wires connectedto said lever, slides joining the said wires, connections between thedraw-wires and gate embodying a sliding weight to which said draw-wiresare connected and through which said slides are movable, as set forth.

3. The combination of a gate, a doublearmed lever, draw-wires connectedto said lever, slides joining the wires, connections between the wiresand gate embodying a sliding weight to which said wires are connected, aguide on a fixed support, a roller movable in said guide and arranged inthe path of the gate, and a counterbalance for said roller as Set forth.

4. The combination of a gate, a doublearmed lever, draw-Wires connectedto said lever, slides joining said wires, yielding devices in said wiresand connections between the wires and the gate embodying a weightthrough which said slides are movable, as set forth.

5. The combination of a gate, a doublearlned lever, draw-wires connectedto said lever, slides joining the wires, yielding portions in saidwires, connections between the said wires and the gate embodying aweight through which said slides are movable, a retaining device forsaid lever and a releasing device for said lever, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of twowitnesses,

this 21st day of March, 1900.

HEINRICH G. W. SIEGMANN. Witnesses:

JAY WHITE, LEONORE KASOH.

